Originally named the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the conference was established in 1912 with 14 members, two of which are still current members. Six members (Central Methodist, Central Wesleyan, Culver–Stockton, Missouri Valley, Missouri Wesleyan, Tarkio College, Westminster, and William Jewell) were later removed from the conference in 1924 when it decided to only include the public schools. A majority of the charter members that left in 1924 have shut down their operations, or merged with another school. Over the next century, nearly twenty schools have joined and left the conference, with a few affiliate members. Some of those schools have reclassified to NCAA Division I.
The conference's current 14-campus makeup resulted when Lincoln departed the conference while Arkansas-Fort Smith joined the league for the 2024-25 season.
The MIAA currently sponsors 20 sports – ten men's and ten women's. MIAA schools with additional sports compete independently or as part of a nearby conference. On July 1, 1992, the MIAA entered a new era when the conference changed its name from the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The name change originated in 1989, when Pittsburg State University and Washburn University became the first schools outside the state of Missouri to gain membership in the MIAA.[3]
In 1924 the conference reorganized to include only public schools, and conference records tend to begin with that date. The schools left behind in the reorganization went on to later form the Missouri College Athletic Union, which would in time become the current Heart of America Athletic Conference in the NAIA.[4]
First expansions of the conference
The Missouri School of Mines, later the University of Missouri–Rolla and now the Missouri University of Science & Technology, joined in 1935 to bring membership to six schools. The membership remained at six until Lincoln University joined in 1970, followed by the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1980.
Southeast Missouri State left the MIAA following the 1990–91 season to move on to NCAA Division I, and was replaced by Emporia State University in the 1991–92 season. Missouri–St. Louis left the MIAA in 1996, as did Missouri–Rolla in 2005. Lincoln forfeited membership in 1999.
On July 3, 2007, Southwest Baptist was granted independent status for their football team, while all remaining teams will stay in the MIAA.[8]
On July 8, 2009, the MIAA CEO Council voted to remain a 12-team league for the foreseeable future, denying an application by Rockhurst University (which does not have a football team but wanted to compete in other sports). The vote ended short term speculation about the League expanding to 16 teams divided into two divisions.[9]
2010s
Locations of MIAA member institutions
Lincoln rejoined the conference in 2010[10] and in that same year, the MIAA CEO Council voted to extend invitations to the University of Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State University to become members of the league beginning in 2012–13, as well as Lindenwood University and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.[11] In 2012, the schools started to only play each other in football and play no non-conference games. At first, the teams that were closest geographically played each other every year and would rotate through the other conference members in other years. The move to expand the league was spurred at least in part after Northwest Missouri during its national championship game run had problems finding non-conference teams that would play it resulting in 2010 with it having 10-game rather than 11-game schedule.[12] In 2011, Nebraska–Omaha joined the Summit League and moved to Division I after the 2010–11 season.[13]
As Nebraska–Omaha departed in 2011, the membership of the MIAA downsized to 11. Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State, Nebraska–Kearney, and Lindenwood all joined in 2012–13, pushing the membership to 15. The league returned to 14 institutions when Truman left in 2013 to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).[14]
Southwest Baptist rejoined the MIAA in football for the 2013 football season, which meant that the schools would then play an 11-game conference football schedule with no non-conference games. In 2014, Southwest Baptist and Lincoln joined the GLVC for football only. This puts it so that all of the football schools in the MIAA can play each other now, instead of rotating.[15]
On February 8, 2018, Newman University announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the league as an associate member in all 14 sports it sponsors beginning with the 2019–20 athletic season.[16] On May 31, 2018, the MIAA announced that Southwest Baptist would be withdrawing its membership from the MIAA to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference full-time, effective August 1, 2019.[17] Lindenwood followed Southwest Baptist on October 4, 2018 announcing they would be joining the GLVC as well, effective July 1, 2019.[18] On October 18, 2018 Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma announced that it would be joining the league as an associate member, aborting a move to the Lone Star Conference.[19] They became full members on July 1, 2022.[20]
After more than 25 years at its current office at 17th and Main Streets, The MIAA announced that it was moving its offices to the newly renovated Hy-Vee Arena, which is formerly known as Kemper Arena.[21]
MIAA and GAC announced a partnership in June 2018 to combine their men’s tennis and men’s soccer leagues in both sports from 2019–20 academic year. Under the agreement, the MIAA will organize the tennis league and the GAC will organize the soccer.[22]
2020 to present
On January 26, 2023, Lincoln announced it was departing the MIAA following two stints of membership inside the association spanning 43 years. [23] On June 26, 2023, Arkansas-Fort Smith announced they had accepted an invitation to become a full-time member of the league. [24] Both changes occurred in time for the 2024-25 season.
In July 1981, Ken B. Jones was appointed as the first full-time MIAA commissioner. He held the position for 16 years, retiring in 1997.[25]Ralph McFillen succeeded Jones, serving 10 years until retiring in 2007.[26]Jim Johnson then succeeded McFillen in July 2007 and served as commissioner until September 2010.[27]Bob Boerigter succeeded Johnson on September 20, 2010 as commissioner and retired on January 27, 2017.[27][28] On September 7, 2016, it was announced that Mike Racy would become the fifth commissioner of the MIAA, effective January 30, 2017.[29]
Chronological timeline
Mid-America Intercollegtiate Athletics Association Members
1924 – Central Methodist, Central Wesleyan, Culver–Stockton, Drury, Missouri Valley, Missouri Wesleyan, Tarkio, Westminster (Mo.) and William Jewell left the MIAA to form the Missouri College Athletic Union (MCAU) after the 1923–24 academic year.
1935 – The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (later the University of Missouri–Rolla, now the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T)) joined the MIAA in the 1935–36 academic year.
2010 – Lincoln (Mo.) re-joined back to the MIAA in the 2010–11 academic year.
2011 – Nebraska–Omaha left the MIAA to join the NCAA Division I ranks as an NCAA D-I Independent (which would later join the Summit League, beginning the 2012–13 academic year) after the 2010–11 academic year.
2013 – Truman State (formerly Northeast Missouri State) left the MIAA to join the GLVC after the 2012–13 academic year.
2015 – Harding and Southern Nazarene left the MIAA as affiliate members for men's soccer, both effective after the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
2019 – Lindenwood and Southwest Baptist left the MIAA to join the GLVC after the 2018–19 academic year.
2019 – Six institutions left the MIAA as affiliate members: Drury, Elmhurst, Maryville, McKendree and Nebraska Wesleyan for women's bowling; and Upper Iowa for men's soccer, all effective after the 2018–19 academic year.
Newman and Rogers State joined MIAA in 2019 as associate members in all sports. They were granted to upgrade to full membership in the 2022–23 academic year.
Affiliate members
The MIAA currently has five affiliate members, three are private schools and two are public schools.
The MIAA had 17 former full members, all but six were private schools. School names and nicknames listed here reflect those used in the final school year each institution was an MIAA member.
Missouri Wesleyan was merged into Baker University from 1926 until it closed in 1930.
Joined as Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. Later became the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1964, with the "at" replaced by an en dash in 1968. The current name known as Missouri University of Science & Technology was adopted since 2008.
UMSL joined the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in 1995 but did not begin competition until after the 1995–96 school year because of its commitments to the final season of competition in the MIAA, hence it joined effective in the 1996–97 school year.
While the institutional name has not changed, UNO's athletic branding changed from "Nebraska–Omaha" (or "UNO") to the current "Omaha" once the school moved to Division I.
Joined as Missouri State Normal School–Third District. Later became Southeast Missouri State Teachers College in 1919, with "Teachers" dropped in 1946 and the current name adopted since 1973.
During SEMO's MIAA tenure, it used "Indians" for men's teams and "Otahkians" for women's teams. The current nickname of Redhawks was adopted for all teams since 2004.
Joined as Missouri State Normal School–Fourth District. Later became Southwest Missouri State Teachers College in 1919, with "Teachers" dropped in 1945 and "College" replaced by "University" in 1973. The current name of Missouri State University was adopted since 2005.
Joined as Missouri State Normal School–First District. Later became Northeast Missouri State Teachers College in 1919, with "Teachers" dropped in 1968 and "College" replaced by "University" in 1972. The current name of Truman State University was adopted since 1996.
Truman left for the GLVC after the 2012–13 school year, while it remained in the MIAA as an affiliate member for wrestling until the 2013–14 school year.
Central Missouri Emporia State Missouri Western Northwest Missouri State Pittsburg State
7–2
2004
Pittsburg State
9–0
2005
Washburn
7–1
2006
Northwest Missouri State
9–0
2007
9–0
2008
9–0
2009
9–0
2010
9–0
2011
Pittsburg State
8–1
2012
Missouri Western
9–1
2013
Northwest Missouri State
10–0
2014
Northwest Missouri State Pittsburg State
10–1
2015
Northwest Missouri State
11–0
2016
Year
School
Record
2017
Fort Hays State
11–0
2018
Northwest Missouri State Fort Hays State
9–2
2019
Northwest Missouri State Central Missouri
10–1
2020
None (Season canceled due to Covid-19 Pandemic)
2021
Northwest Missouri State
9–1
2022
Pittsburg State
11-0
Close
Volleyball
The MIAA champion was determined via postseason tournament from 1982 to 1992, and 2006 to 2007. From 2003 to 2005, separate regular season and tournament champions were crowned.
MIAA Championships per school
More information School, Titles ...
School
Titles
Last Title
Tournament Titles
Central Missouri
24
2014
1
Truman
6
2007
3
Nebraska–Kearney
6
2019
5
Washburn
4
2011
0
Missouri Western
1
2017
0
Central Oklahoma
2015
0
Emporia State
2008
0
Close
MIAA Champions
More information Year, School ...
Year
School
1982
Central Missouri
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
Year
School
1991
Central Missouri
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Year
School
2000
Central Missouri Truman
2001
Truman
2002
Washburn
2003
Truman
2004
2005
Washburn
2006
Truman
2007
Year
School
2008
Emporia State
2009
Central Missouri
2010
Central Missouri Washburn
2011
2012
Nebraska–Kearney
2013
Central Missouri Washburn
2014
Central Missouri Nebraska–Kearney
2015
Central Oklahoma
2016
Nebraska–Kearney
2017
Missouri Western Nebraska–Kearney
2018
Nebraska–Kearney
2019
Nebraska-Kearney
Close
Men's basketball
More information School, Conference ...
MIAA Championships won or shared per school
School
Conference
Tournament
Titles
Last Title
Titles
Last Title
Central Missouri
21
2013–14
5
2009
Southwest Missouri State
19
1977–78
0
N/A
Northwest Missouri State
19
2019–20
9
2020
Southeast Missouri State
12
1989–90
4
1987
Washburn
9
2004–05
5
2021
Truman
9
1978–79
2
1999
Missouri Western
5
2001–02
4
2003
Southwest Baptist
4
2008–09
2
2006
Lincoln
4
1980–81
0
N/A
Missouri Southern
2
2010–11
3
2014
Missouri–Rolla
2
1995–96
1
1996
Fort Hays State
1
2012–13
1
2011
Pittsburg State
1
1998–99
1
2015
Nebraska–Omaha
0
N/A
1
2010
Missouri–St. Louis
1
1988
Emporia State
0
N/A
Lindenwood
Nebraska–Kearney
Northeastern State
MIAA all–time standings (1924–25 to 2019–20)
School
W
L
Pct
Tournament
W
L
Rogers State
15
4
.789
1
1
Washburn
360
198
.645
39
23
Southwest Missouri State
362
213
.630
1
1
Nebraska–Omaha
38
24
.613
4
2
Central Missouri
749
496
.602
36
32
Fort Hays State
160
113
.586
11
11
Northwest Missouri State
704
534
.569
48
25
Missouri Southern
317
246
.563
24
24
Southeast Missouri State
366
342
.517
10
7
Missouri Western
289
270
.517
26
22
Central Oklahoma
81
76
.516
9
7
Nebraska–Kearney
79
77
.506
6
6
Lindenwood
68
68
.500
1
5
Missouri–St. Louis
112
116
.491
3
9
Pittsburg State
272
288
.486
20
23
Southwest Baptist
262
320
.450
13
20
Truman
460
635
.420
9
14
Emporia State
221
305
.420
7
19
Northeastern State
60
95
.387
2
6
Lincoln
196
379
.341
7
8
Missouri–Rolla
240
593
.288
3
10
Newman
3
16
.158
0
0
Close
MIAA Regular Season champions
– first place in MIAA standings, no championship awarded N – North Division Champion (89–90 only) S – South Division Champion (89–90 only)
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full member
